California retail crime laws aim to crack down on organized rings [Video]

California Democratic Gov. Gavin Newsom has signed 10 new bills into law that aim to combat retail crime in the state.

The package, announced Friday, includes new laws that crack down on shoplifting, theft from a vehicle, organized theft, and online marketplaces where these stolen goods are sometimes resold. The new laws come after retailers have called on both local and federal governments to do more to combat retail theft, citing it as a growing challenge that’s impacted profits, customers and staff.

One of the bills in the package, SB 1416, establishes tougher penalties for middlemen in organized retail crime rings and was introduced in response to a CNBC investigation published in March, according to the office of state Sen. Josh Newman, a Democrat, who introduced the bill.

“As author of the bill, I used examples of your reporting in each of the policy committee hearings at which I presented the bill, and I …